Containers for potables



Sept. 25, 1956 J. P. ens

CONTAINERS FOR POTABLES Filed Sept. 13, 1954 I I'll/III 1/ FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

JuLEs R Grrs trite rates CONTAINERS FOR POTABLES Jules Paul Gits, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Joseph A. Gits, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,584 7 Claims. (Cl. 150-.5)

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potables, it is essential that such covers be provided.

Those covers will not only resist loss of the contents, in case the containers are accidentally tilted or upset, but they will reduce evaporation losses and they will minimize the entry of dirt, dust, moisture and other contamination.

It is desirable that the covers for the openings in the closures of containers be held in register with those openings and be held against accidental separation from those closures. Where this is done, the covers are instantly available and are easily moved into position to close those openings. It has been found that the covers can best be held against accidental separation and can best be held in register with the openings by hinging those covers to those closures. Accordingly, several manufacturers have begun to provide the closures of containers for liquids with covers that are hinged to those closures adjacent the openings of those closures. The present invention provides such a cover and closure and provides an improved hinge to secure that cover to that. closure. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hinge for the cover of a closure for a container for liquids.

Prior hinges for the covers of closures for containers for liquids have included spaced projections which received the pivots of the covers. Those spaced projections were made so they defined generally U-shaped recesses which were narrower at the open ends of the U than they were at the closed ends of the U. The pivots of the covers were relatively thick and wouldspread apart the upper ends of the projections as they were forced downwardly toward the closed ends of the recesses; and the projections. would then spring back to normal position and hold the pivots against separating movement. Where the covers were to be permanently connected to the closures, the projections could be made quite stiff and could be bent, at the factory, into cover-holding position. However, where the covers and closures are used with containers for liquid potables, such a. perm'anentconnection is not desirable since sterilization is. best effected where the parts are completely separable. Hence, it is desirable that the projections be made flexible enough to perunit the shafts of the covers to be separated from these projections; but if those projections are flexible enough to permit ready separation of the pivots, they may also be flexible enough to permit accidental separation of those pivots from those covers. In fact, the projections of the ice closures made by some manufacturers are so flexible that housewives, who have accidentally lost the covers from the closures of previously-bought containers, have removed the covers from the closures of containers standing on the shelves and counters of stores. This, of course, is objectionable because it renders those containers unsalable. The present invention obviates any such losses of the cover by providing a hinge that does not depend upon the flexing of the projections. Instead that hinge uses stiff projections on a flexible closure; the closure being bent to permit separation of the cover from the closure. It is therefore an object of the present inven tion to provide an improved hinge for the covers of closures that includes stiif project-ions that are mounted on a flexible closure.

Because the projections of the hinge provided by the present invention can be made stiff, they can resist accidental separation of cover and closure. Furthermore, they can be made so they can receive and completely confine trunnions on that cover. Thus, instead of merely providing U-shaped recesses that are open at the top, the projections of the present invention can provide completely continuous circular surfaces to confine and hold the tmnnions of the cover. Such continuous surfaces not only provide full resistance to accidental separation of the cover and closure, but they avoid misalignment of that cover with the opening in the closure. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide projections that have continuous circular surfaces to confine the trunnions of the cover.

The trunnions of the cover define a distance that is greater than the distance between the confronting faces of the projections on the closure. Accordingly, once the trunnions are seated in the recesses of the projections, they can not slip out accidentally. However, bending of the closure itself can move the confront-ing faces of the projections far enough apart to permit the insertion of the trunnions into, and the removal of those trunnions from, the recesses of the projections.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description 'a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and escribed but it is .to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig, 1 is a plan View of a closure that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the closure of Fig. 1 and a part of the container on which it is mounted, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end view of a portion of the closure of Fig. l, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional end view of the part of the closure shown in Fig; 3, and it is taken along the same plane, but it shows the closure distorted during a cover-inserting or cover-removing operation, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cover of the closure of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 generally denotes a closure for a container. That closure is made of a tough but flexible plastic material such as polyethylene or the like. That closure has a generally spherical surface that defines the top of the closure, and the radius of that spherical surface is quite large. Hence, the closure 10 has a shallow, domed top surface 12. The closure it has a downwardly depending annular skirt 14 that is formed integrally with the spherical top surface 12. The skirt 14 stiffens the closure; but since it is made of the same tough flexible plastic material it will permit the closure to flex sharply, as indicated particularly in Fig. 4. That skirt also coacts with the upper end of a container 36 to provide a tight seal.

An opening 16 is provided in the top surface 12 of the closure 10, and that opening is adjacent the periphery of that closure. An annular flange 18 extends upwardly from the surface 12 and surrounds and helps define the opening 16. The axis of the opening 16, and of the annular flange 18, is radial and extends to the geometric center of the spherical top surface 12.

The numerals 20 and 22 denote projections which extend upwardly from the top surface 12 of the closure 10, and those projections are disposed closely adjacent the annular flange 18. Those projections are of the same tough flexible material of which the top surface 12 and the skirt 14 are made, but those projections are made squat and massive so they will be stiff. Each of the projections 2t) and 22 has a recess 24 therein, and the recesses 24 are in confronting relation. The reccesses 24 coact to define an axis which is transverse of the axis of the opening 16 in the closure 10. The confronting faces of the projections 20 and 22 are plane and are parallel to each other when the closure has its normal configuration, as indicated in Figs. 1-3. However, those confronting faces will diverge and incline away from each other whenever the closure 10 is distorted for a coverinserting or cover-removing operation, as indicated particularly in Fig. 4.

The numeral 26 generally denotes a cover which can be used to selectively open and close the opening 16 in the closure 10. That cover has a generally flat central area and has a downwardly depending skirt 28. The inner diameter of the skirt 28 is closely comparable to the outer diameter of the annular flange 18 on the closure 10. As a result, the skirt 28 of the cover 26 can make a tight seal with the annular flange 18 of the closure 10. A stud 30 extends from one side of the flange 28, and that stud carries two trunnions 32. Those trunnions are cylindrical in configuration, but they have spherical outer ends. The cylindrical portions of the trunnions 32 have outer diameters which are closely comparable to the inner diameters of the recesses 24 in the projections and 22. Thus, whenever the trunnions 32 are disposed within the recesses 24 of the projections 20 and 22, those trunnions will provide a closely fitting hinge action.

The spherical ends of the trunnions 32 are spaced apart a distance appreciably greater than the normal distance between the confronting faces of the projections 20 and 22. Moreover, those spherical ends of the trunnions are spaced apart a distance appreciably greater than the normal distance between the confronting face of one projection and the inner end of the recess in the other projection. However, those spherical ends are spaced apart a distance closely comparable to the normal spacing between the innermost ends of the recesses 24. Consequently, the trunnions 32 can fit neatly within the recesses 24 whenever the cover 26 is properly assembled with the projections 20 and 22 of the closure 10.

To assemble the cover 26 with the projections 20 and 22 of the closure 10, that closure is bent sharply along the axis denoted by the line 22 in Fig. 1; and this bending is indicated particularly in Fig. 4. This bending moves the confronting faces of the projections 20 and 22 away from each other to increase the distance between those confronting faces. clines the axes of the recesses 24 away from each other so that they are no longer co-axial, but instead tend to intersect at a point spaced above the top surface 12. Such inclination of the axes of the recesses 24 is emphasized particularly in Fig. 4. Once this inclination Furthermore, this bending inhas been attained, one of the trunnions 32 can be inserted in one of the recesses '24. For example, the right hand trunnion in Fig. 4 can readily be inserted in the recess 24 of the projection 20. That trunnion will be pressed as far into the recess 24 as is possible, and thereafter the cover 26 will be manipulated so that the other trunnion 32 moves into register with the recess 24 in the projection 22. Once this has been done, and it is easily accomplished, the pressure which was required to distort the closure 10 can be released. T hereupon, that closure will restore itself to the attitude and configuration indicated particularly by Figs. 1-3. When the closure it) has that attitude and configuration, the projections 2t and 22 will again have their confronting faces parallel to each other and will again have the axes of the recesses 24 co-axial. Furthermore, the confronting faces of the projections 20 and 22 will be spaced apart a distance considerably less than the distance spanned by the spherical ends of the trunnions 32; and the distance between either confronting face and the innermost end of the opposite recess will be appreciably less than distance spanned by the spherical ends of the trunnions 32.

The closure is stiff enough to resist accidental flexing, and it will therefore resist accidental separation of the cover 26. That stiffness is the result of the conjoint action of the configuration of the domed spherical upper surface 12 and of the skirt 14, and of the thickness of that surface and skirt. However, whenever desired, the closure can be bent to the configuration indicated by Fig. 4, and thereupon the spacing between the confronting faces of the projections 20 and 22 will be great enough to permit one of the trunnions 32 to slip past the outer end of one of those projections. Hence the present invention provides ready separation of the cover and closure whenever such separation is desired, but it prevents accidental separation; the skirt 14 coacting with the top surface 12 to normally hold the closure 10 in the attitude and configuration indicated by Figs. 1-3.

The cover 26 is provided with a thumbreceiving projection 34. That projection extends outwardly to a point almost in line with the outer periphery of the skirt 14. It is thus easy for the user of the closure of the present invention to apply his or her thumb to the outer end of the projection 34 and raise upwardly. When this has been done, the cover 26 will rotate about the trunnions 32 and move to open position. At such time, the contents of the container 36 with which the closure 10 is assembled, can be poured out through the opening 16. Once the pouring operation has been completed, the user can apply his or her thumb to the projection 34 and rotate the cover to the position indicated by Fig. 2.

During the time the cover 26 is in closed position, in open position, and in all positions therebetween, the projections 20 and 22 will fully confine the trunnions 32 within continuous circular surfaces. Such confinement minimizes mis-alignment of the cover in any and all directions, as well as prevents accidental separation of cover and closure.

The recesses 24 are not truly circular in cross section; instead, they are roughly elliptical with vertical axes that are longer than their horizontal axes. This roughly elliptical configuration of the recesses 24 is important since it provides a limited amount of vertical play for each of the trunnions 32 of the cover 26. Such play enables that cover to move into, and remain in, engagement with the annular flange 18 on the closure 10 despite any local distortions of the top surface 12 due to its snapping onto or off of the end of container 36.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1, A closure, for a container, that is made of tough,

flexible material and that has a spherically-domed top surface and a downwardly depending annular skirt, said top surface being provided with an opening, an annular flange that surrounds said opening and projects upwardly from said top surface, a pair of projections on said top surface that are adjacent said opening, said projections having faces that are in confronting relation, said projections defining a line that is transverse of the axis of said opening, each of said projectionshaving a recess therein, said recesses being cylindrical, said recesses extending inwardly from the confronting faces of said projections, said recesses normally having the axes thereof co-axial, said axes normally being parallel to said line defined by said projections, and a cover with trunnions thereon, said trunnions having diameters that are closely comparable to the diameters of said recesses, the ends of said trunnions being spherical, said ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said confronting faces of said projections and that is greater than the normal distance between the confronting face of one of said projections and that point in the recess in the other of said projections where the end of the trunnion for the said recess is normally positioned, said top surface of said skirt being bendable about a line that is between said projections and that is transverse of said line defined by said projections to move the confronting faces of said projections apart so the distance between the confronting face of the said one projection and the said point in the recess in said other projection is greater than the distance defined by the ends of said trunnions.

2. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material and that has a top surface and a downwardly depending annular skirt, said top surface being provided with an opening, a pair of projections on said top surface that are adjacent said opening, said projections having faces that are in confronting relation, said projections defining a line that is transverse of the axis of said opening, each of said projections having a recess therein, said recesses being cylindrical, said recesses extending inwardly from the confronting faces of said projections, said recesses normally having the axes thereof generally co-axial, said axes normally being parallel to said line defined by said projections, and a cover with trunnions thereon, said trunnions having diameters that are closely comparable to the diameters of said recesses, said ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said confronting faces of said projections and that is greater than the normal distance between the confronting face of one of said projections and that point in the recess in the other of said projections where the end of the trunnion for the said recess is normally positioned, said top surface of said skirt being bendable about a line that is between said projections and that is transverse of said line defined by said projections to move the confronting faces of said projections apart so the distance between the confronting face of the said one projection and the said point in the recess in said other projection is greater than the distance defined by the ends of said trunnions.

3. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material and that has a top surface and a downwardly depending annular skirt, said top surface being provided with an opening, a pair of projections on said top surface that are adjacent said opening, said projections having faces that are in confronting relation, said projections defining a line that is transverse of the axis of said opening, each of said projections having a recess therein, said recesses extending inwardly from the confronting faces of said projections, said recesses normally having the axes thereof co-axial, said axes normally being parallel to said line defined by said projections, and a cover with trunnions thereon, the ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said confronting faces of said projections, said top surface and-.said skirt being bendable about a line that is between said projections and that is transverse of saidline defined by said projections to move the confronting faces of said projections apart so the distance between the confronting faces of the said projections is great enough to permit one of said trunnions to be telescoped into the recess of one of said projections and to permit the other of said trunnions to be moved across the face of the other of said projections until said other trunnion is in register with therecess of said other projection.

4. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material and that has a top surface and a downwardly depending annular skint, said top surface being provided with an opening, a pair of projections on said top surfiace that are adjacent said opening, said projections having faces that are in confronting relation, each of said projections having a recess therein, said recesses being cylindrical, said recesses extending inwardly from the confronting faces of said projections, said recesses normally having the axes thereof generally 'co-axial, and a cover with trunnions thereon, said trunnions having diameters that are closely comparable to the inner diameters of said recesses, the ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said confronting faces of said projections and that is greater than the nor-mal distance between the confronting face of one of said projections and that point in the recess in the other of said projections where the end of the trunnion for the said recess is normally positioned, said top surface and said skirt being bendable about a -trans verse line between said projections to move the confronting faces of said projections apart so the distance between the confronting face of the said one projection and the said point in the recess in said other projection is greater than the distance defined by the ends of said trunnions.

5. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material :and that has a top surface and a downwardly depending annular skint, said top surface being provided with an opening, a pair of projections on said top surface that are adjacent said opening, said projections having faces thereon that are spaced apart, each of said projections having a recess therein, said recesses extending inwardly from the faces of said projections, said recesses normally having the axes thereof generally coaxial, and a cover with trunnions thereon, the ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said faces of said projections, said top sunface and said skint being bendable about a transverse line between said projections to move the faces of said projections apart so the distance between the faces of the said projections is great enough to permit one of said trunnions to be telescoped into the recess of one of said projections and to permit the other of said trunnions to be moved across the face of the other of said projections until said other trunnion is in register with the recess of said other projection.

6. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material and that has a top surface, said top surface being provided with an opening, a pair of projections on said top surface that are adjacent said opening, said projections having 'faces thereon that are spaced apart, each of said projections having a recess therein, said recesses extending inwardly from the faces of said projections, and a cover with trunnions thereon, the ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal :distance between said faces of said projections and that is greater than the normal distance between the face of one of said projections and that point in the recess in the other of said projections where the end of the trunnion for the said recess is normally positioned, said top surface of said closure being bendable about a transverse line between said projections to move the faces of said projections apart so the distance between the face of the said one projection and the said point in the recess in said other projection is greater than the distance de- 7 fined by said ends of said trunnions, said recesses being roughly elliptical in cross section.

7. A closure, for a container, that is made of tough, flexible material and that has a top surface, said top surface being provided with an opening, said closure having a portion adjacent said opening which has a generally vertically directed face thereon and having a second portion adjacent said opening which has a generally vertically directed face thereon, said faces being spaced apart and being in confronting relation, each of said portions of said closure having a recess therein, said recesses extending inwardly from said faces of said portions of said closure, s'aid recesses normally having the axes thereof generally co-axial, and a cover for said opening that has trunnions thereon, the ends of said trunnions defining a distance that is greater than the normal distance between said faces of said portions of said closure, said top surface of said closure being bendable about a transverse line between said portions of said closure to move said faces of said portions apart so the distance between said faces of said portions of said closure is great enough to permit one of said trunnions to be telescoped into the recess of one of said portions of said closure and to permit the other of said trunnions to be moved across the face of the other of said portions of said closure until said other trunnion is in register with the recess of said other portion of said closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,509,355 Kampa May 30, 1950 

